Ellison did not immediately return calls from Breitbart Sports Wednesday night after telling Deadspin that Carroll is not sure the events of September 11 that were remembered by Americans Wednesday really happened. Carroll is preparing the Seahawks to host the defending NFC champions to determine who is the early favorite in the NFC.

Last Spring, Carroll asked retired general Peter Chiarelli if the attacks really happened, and persisted even after Chiarelli told him of losing many colleagues in the attack, according to Deadspin. Ellison said Carroll’s skepticism was likely the result of growing up in California in an era impacted by Watergate and Vietnam.

Ellison heads up the conservative Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance. He won three Super Bowl rings with the 49ers after taking a national title at USC. His son Rhett Ellison was an imposing figure as a high school student attending USC games with his father, and was rated as the best blocking fullback in the NFC by Pro Football Focus.